It is not often that an SJA member’s work gets formally exhibited (and we’re not thinking about our colleagues at the Racing Post, whose form guides adorn the walls of bookmakers’ shops the length of the country).
And it is rarer still that such an exhibition of work is staged in one of the most revered sporting venues in sport.
But that is what the fine cricket photography of Patrick Eagar has achieved.
A major exhibition in the MCC Museum to celebrate Patrick’s 51st Test match at Lord’s (there have only been 108 Test matches, so he has photographed almost half of them!) has been extended and is still on show throughout 2006.
Patrick is one of the world’s most respected sports photographers, with a body of work that dates back to the early 1970s. He has published 13 books, most recently, with the story of this last English summer The Ashes in Focus.
This exhibition (sponsored by MICE Group plc) focuses on Patrick’s work at the home of cricket – in all its many guises – and features more than 80 images of Lord’s, from Ian Botham batting towards 108 against Pakistan in the second Test of 1978, Michael Atherton being run out on 99 against Australia in 1993 to Dickie Bird’s emotional final Test appearance as an umpire in 1996, the unstinting quality of Patrick’s work always captures the occasion.
MCC’s curator Adam Chadwick said:
“Working with Patrick has been a real pleasure. His dedication has resulted in an exhibition and catalogue that are both captivating and a wonderful testament to the style he has developed over the years.”
The exhibition will be open to the public throughout the summer. Entry to the Museum (which also includes the World Cup and Ashes urn and a wealth of items from cricketers old and new) on matchdays costs £3 for adults and £1 for under-16s and Senior Citizens. On non-matchdays, entry costs £5.
Alternatively, the exhibition can be seen as part of a comprehensive behind-the-scenes Tour of Lord’s, which costs £8 for adults, £6 for concessions and £5 for children.
For more details, please contact the Tours of Lord’s office on 020 7616 8595, and click here to visit Patrick Eager’s own website.